TB eradicated in 11 years?

A statutory review of the National Pest Management Plan (TB Plan) has to be completed by July next year and as part of that process a Plan Governance Group (PGG) has come up with three proposals, public consultation on which closes July 31.

The PGG’s preferred option is to cut spending from the current $80m to $60m but by targeting controls better modelling shows the disease can be eradicated from livestock by 2026.

“The guts of it is we’re aiming to eradicate TB from New Zealand whereas the current plan is focussed around eradication of the vectors,” chair of the PGG, Chris Kelly, told Rural News.

“If this proposal is approved it will give farmers more control for less investment.”

Kelly says feedback from information sessions being held around the country is that some farmers would rather pay more to get rid of the disease faster but the modelling shows the PGG’s preferred $60m option offers better value than spending $70m or $80m.

“Increasing the funding wouldn’t speed it [eradication] up hugely.”

Equally, analysis of a $30m/year option shows containment could be achieved but the disease, and hence that level of funding, would be needed inperpetuity making it more costly in the long-run.

Under the PGG’s preferred option beef farmers’ levy contribution will tumble from 18% of $80m to 13% of $60m by 2020/21. Deer’s share eases slightly, but dairy’s will increase (see table) reflecting both growth of the sector and greater movement of stock and therefore risk of disease spread.

“All the recent outbreaks have been livestock animal to livestock animal, not vector to livestock,” points out Kelly.

However dairy farmers, and indeed all farmers, can look forward to less on-farm testing with more reliance on tests at works.

The exception to that will be in disease hot-spots and where NAIT requirements are not met.

“Where NAIT’s all correct, then it will allow for less tests but farms that do not comply [with NAIT] could face higher tests and they might have to pay for the testing themselves,” Kelly warns.

It’s proposed OSPRI, through TB Free, would be given powers to issue infringement notices to encourage NAIT compliance which currently can only be dealt with by prosecution.

Live animal exporters will be brought into the scheme as they stand to benefit from New Zealand gaining TB free status and currently escape the levy scheme. Meanwhile regional councils, many of which have long grumbled about TB targeted rating, will be removed.

Federated Farmer’s national board representative on OSPRI, Anders Crofoot, says the Federation will be making a submission on the consultation and while that’s yet to be finalised, it looks likely to reflect members’ concerns that reduced funding could mean controls are relaxed and TB escalates again as it did in the 1990s.

“We are quite encouraged they [the PGG] are going for eradication which the previous plan wasn’t committed to. Members’ main concern seems to be that they might be underspending,” he told Rural News.

However, from his involvement with OSPRI, he says the science and modelling shows eradication can be achieved even with the reduced spend.